Many US colleges and universities, including some in urban settings, are apparently less concerned with urban problems today than they were a third of a century ago. There is a growing need for a new kind of university that would aggressively approach city problems, such as an urban-grant university. This institution would become directly involved in improving the total urban environment -- architecture, use of space, health, poverty, cultural, educational equality and recreational programs -- and thus bridge the gap between campus and community. It would offer city-oriented curricula and research studies, and set up experiment stations to attack municipal problems. Public high school students would benefit from counseling, cooperation between their teachers and university faculty to improve the system's curricula, and other aid that would ensure a smooth transition from high school to college. For heterogeneity, the urban-grant university would aim to attract eligible students within and beyond the surrounding community. Faculty and trustees should be selected on a non-political basis, for their concern with the problems and readiness to seek more effective solutions. The federal government could help to provide land and funds for urban-grant universities or for expansion of existing campuses. Federal grants for programs directly related to city problems would be awarded on the basis of merit and initiative to public and private institutions that apply for support. (WM)